Free Agency 2021 Preview: Defensive Line
January 27, 2021
By Alex Zeese
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you already know that Washington has invested quite a bit in the defensive line via the draft these last few seasons. Even with Ryan Kerrigan likely moving on to a new team next season the team finds themselves with plenty of quality players on the line. If Kerrigan leaves, Washington will go from having 5 first-round picks on their D-line down to 4.
Montez Sweat and Chase Young are both studs at DE and may prove to be one of the best DE duo’s we’ve seen in Washington since the Charles Mann and Dexter Manley era. At DT, we saw Allen and Payne as the established starters last season. The backups on the interior are nothing to laugh at either. Fan favorites Tim Settle and Matt Ioannidis could be starters on some rosters. Meanwhile, at defensive end, there is a need for some rotational pieces moving forward where the team does have less proven backups like James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill.
For those reasons, we will be focusing on free agents that would fit Washington as depth players, particularly at DE, rather than focusing on stars looking for a big payday. We don’t need a star since Sweat and Young are expected to take a bulk of the snaps. So what I’m personally looking for is a capable veteran, someone who doesn’t mind taking a back seat to two younger players, and who can be a good veteran presence for them.
Kerry Hyder (6’2” 270 lbs, 30 years old): Hyder played with the 49ers last season and wound up getting 8.5 sacks after replacing an injured Nick Bosa. He’s a big, strong end, and not really a speed rusher. What’s amazing is that 2020 was his first real season with any playtime, at 29 years old. He bounced around between the Jets, Lions, and Cowboys his first 5 seasons, and never had much of a chance to play with those teams other than one good 2016 season in Detroit where he also had 8 sacks. It’s worth mentioning that Hyder’s last stop in San Francisco gives him a natural tie to 1/2 of Washington’s new front office in Martin Mayhew.
Solomon Thomas (6’2″ 280 lbs, 26 years old): Also from San Francisco, Thomas has been viewed as a bust out west, and given that he’s a first-round pick who’s only had just 6 sacks in 4 seasons, it’s a fair assessment. Thomas had an ACL injury early in the 2020 season. He would be a serious project.
There’s a number of other pending free agent 49ers on the D line who are not worth a long write up but are worth talking about, such as Jordan Willis, Ezekiel Ansah, Ronald Blair, and Dion Jordan.
Olivier Vernon (6’2”, 262 lbs, 30 years old): Vernon spent the last two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Prior to that he played end and LB for the Giants and Dolphins. If the Browns don’t keep him Vernon will be in a similar situation that Kerrigan finds himself. He’s a physical edge rusher who’s now past 30. He’s good against the run, and bullies his way to a QB. His body still looks more like a 3-4 edge linebacker than a 4-3 defensive end.
Everson Griffen (6’3″ 273 lbs, 33 years old): After spending most of his career with the Vikings and amassing 74.5 sacks Griffin moved on to Dallas and then Detroit. At his age who knows if he’s planning on playing another season or not, but Griffin had 6 sacks in 2020 and still looks to have decent speed as an edge rusher.
Denico Autry (6’5” 285 lbs, 31 years old): Autry is a bit of a tweener and can be a DE or a DT. That versatility could be an asset, and Washington occasionally needs some more size at DE in running situations. He’s been with the Colts the last 3 seasons and played well, averaging about 6.5 sacks a season, before that he was in Oakland, where he’s struggled.
Trent Murphy (6’6″ 260 lbs, 30 years old): I figured I’d just throw this one out there, either for nostalgia’s sake or to annoy some of his non-fans here in Washington. We are all familiar with what Murphy can bring to an NFL team – he’s a gritty player and a solid run-stopper, and while he may not scare teams in the passing game he would be more than capable vs the run.
Takk McKinley (6’2″ 250, 25 years old): McKinley was a bust when he played with Atlanta after being a 1st round pick he was released by Atlanta this year before spending some time in Oakland and eventually going to IR. However, just because a guy was a bust with one team doesn’t mean he couldn’t have value as a backup elsewhere.